TNT Coronavirus Edition: Contagions & Ottoman Reactions (1871 & 1913)/Part II

//Ed. note: In this second and final part of his article, 
Halim Sabit Efendi takes note of the quarantine 
discrimination he perceives for Moslems and Christians 
heading to Mecca and the Holy Land, respectively.  

He also relates the practice of some Moslems pilgrims 
from Russia using commercial passports, rather than 
pilgrim passports, to avoid getting caught in quarantines
- perhaps from personal experience, being a native of 
Kazan himself.//

Ottoman Maritime Quarantines for Mecca Pilgrims 
click here for a recent TNT series on this subject.

 
                 Jerusalem in Ottoman times.

There is another thing that has long been known: contagious diseases
and the cholera microbe, in particular,  don't take hold in cold-weather
countries, nor do these microbes live long in hot and dry climates.  The
Hijaz is just such a hot and dry country, where the sun - the microbes'
sworn enemy - blazes down for all but just a few days each year. 

That is why it has long been the belief that in the Hijaz plagues cannot 

last for long.  In other words, it would be wrong to say that the Hijaz

could be a source of contagious diseases.  This is not to say, of course,

that we are against science and knowledge.  If science dictates that

pilgrims ought to be quarantined then we have no objection to this.  

However, singling out Moslems for such a harsh treatment must not be

allowed, nor should it be forgotten that Moslems, like any other group,

are entitled to respect, rights and life.

There is another related issue that has been stuck in my craw for a 

while, so let me get it out: the laws that apply to quarantines are not

implemented equally.  There is separate treatment for Moslems and 

Christians, in this regard, and it rears its ugly head during the respective

pilgrimages.  For example, if a slight illness is observed among

Moslems en route to Mecca all Moslems are subjected to quarantine.

On the other hand, it is almost unheard of for Christian pilgrims headed 

for the Holy Land to suffer such restrictions.   

The situation is such that only Moslem pilgrims are subject to the laws 

and regulations that apply to quarantines, because the application of 

these restrictions on others only happens rarely. An example of this is 

the treatment of Moslem ferry travelers between Odessa and Sivastapol 

and Istanbul, whereas someone with cholera can board a train in 

Odessa and reach Istanbul via Vienna and Budapeşt, or board a train at

Istanbul's Sirkeci station during a cholera outbreak and tour all of 

Europe without the requirement of being quarantined.

In consequence, some Moslem pilgrims from Kazan who head for 

Mecca via the Black Sea ferry, during times of outbreaks in interior 

Russia, get themselves a commercial passport, rather than a pilgrim 

passport, to avoid quarantine at Anadolu Kavağı (at the Black Sea 

entrance to the Bosphorus).  Alternatively, Moslem pilgrims from 

Russia go to Istanbul via Europe or from Marseille to Alexandria

but without pilgrim passports so they can travel freely like other

people. 

So after taking all of the above into consideration, could it be that just

because a pilgrim doesn't have a pilgrim passport he is free of all the

contagious diseases?  Of course not.  Would that the recommendations

of science and knowledge were applied equally.

Halim Sabit

//END of PART II//